Outlet control means for collapsible material holding tubes



April 1935. J. D. DUNNING 1,996,284

OUTLET CONTROL MEANS FOR COLLAPSIBLE MATERIAL HOLDING TUBES Filed March17, 1954 INVENTOR.

Ll 11 DUNNING I ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 2, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OUTLET CONTROL MEANSFOR COLLAPSI- BLE MATERIAL HOLDING TUBES 1 Claim.

This invention relates to collapsible metal tubes for holding plasticmaterials such as tooth paste, cosmetic creams, shaving cream soaps,medical creams and lotions, glue, paint, and

the like.

The principal object of my invention is to provide an outlet controlmeans for collapsible material hold ng tubes that is rapid and positivein operation.

A further object of this invention is to provide a metal materialholding tube and opening and closing means therefor that eliminates thenecessity of completely removing the usual closing screw cap, therebyinsuring the user against accidental loss of the closing cap.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a plastic holdingand dispensing tube that projects the material being dispensed in theform of a ribbon and in a direction transversely to the longitudinalaxis of the tube.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a plastic holdingand dispensing tube that permits the selection of a plurality of varyingdischarge openings, thereby making possible streams of varyingcross-sectional area.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an outlet controlmeans for material holding and dispensing tubes that is economical inmanufacture and durable in use.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combinationof the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated areattained as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claimand illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a side view of an ordinary metal material holding tube withone form of my opening and closing means employed thereon and in aclosed condition.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view of the nozzle end of a tube having stillanother form of my opening and closing member thereon, a section ofwhich is cut away to more fully illustrate the construction of the same.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged ,side view of the nozzle end of a tube with myopening and closing member thereon, a section of which is cut away toillustrate the specific collar construction which is a slightmodification from the construction shown in Fig. 2.

, Fig. 4 is an enlarged side view of the nozzle end 01 a tube and anopening and closing collar thereon, having a construction like thatshown in Fig. 3. I

Fig. 5 is an enlarged side sectional view of my device as illustrated inFig. 3, and shows the same in an open condition.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the device as shown in Fig. 2 and istaken on line 6-6 of that figure, but with the cap rotated from a closedposition to an open position.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the device as 10 shown in Fig. 3 andis taken on line 1-1 of that figure, but with the collar rotated from aclosed position to an open position.

The present method of opening and closing the discharge end of metaltubes 'of this class is with 15 an ordinary cup cap screwed onto thethreaded end of the tubes discharge nozzle. This is objectionable as ittakes a considerable length of time to screw the cap completely off andthen screw it back on. What usually happens is that 20 the detachablecap is lost entirely or accidentally dropped down the outlet pipe of thelavatory. I have overcome all such objections, as will be appreciated bythose using tubes of this nature.

Referring to the drawing, I have used the nu- 25 meral III to designatethe usual collapsible metal holding tube having the threaded dischargeend nozzle portion I I. This nozzleportion in my invention diifers fromthe usual nozzle in that it has a longitudinal discharge slot opening I2 in its side 30 wall, as shown in Fig. 2. When an opening and closingcap of a construction shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 is used, the forwardend of the nozzle II may either be open or closed, but if a.construction shown in Fig. 3, Fig. 4, or Fig.5 is used 35 the end of thenozzle must be of closed construction. I have used the numeral I3 todesignate my opening and closing member as illustrated in Figs. 1,2,and6. This member is a cup cap threaded onto the nozzle portion I I ofthe tube. The numerals 40 I 4 and I5 designate two spaced apartlongitudinal slot openings in the side wall of the cap I3. These twoslot openings are of different widths and are capable of selectivelyregistering with the slot opening I2 of the nozzle, I I.

By this arrangement of parts, when it is desired to obtain material fromthe tube, it is merely necessary to slightly rotate the member I3 untileither the slot opening I4 or I5 registers with the slot opening I2 inthe nozzle I I. By the slot 50 openings I4 and 15 being of differentsizes, one may selectively obtain a stream of material from the tube ofdifferent cross-sectional area. The cross-sectional area of the streamof material may also be adjustably varied by adjusting the de- 56 greeof registration of the slot opening in the cap relative to a slotopening in the nozzle. To close the tube it is merely necessary torotate the cap slightly to a position where the slot opening or openingsin the cap do not register with the slot opening in the nozzle portion.From this description it will readily be noted that the material desiredmay be easily and quickly obtained from the tube and without danger oflosing the closing cap.

In Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 7, a slightly modified cap member I5 is shown.This member I6 is exactly like the screw cap member i3, except that ithas no bottom and therefore is of collar construction. Its operationis-exactly like that ofthe cap IS. The numeral ll designates the slotopening in the side of the collar l6. Any number of slot openings may beformed in the members l3 or IE, but it is believed that for mostpurposes a single slot opening will suflice.

By the slot openings in the cap members l3 and I6 and the slot openingin the nozzle I I being longitudinal of the longitudinal axis of thetube I0, the stream or ribbon of the material passing from the tube willbe to the side or transversely of the length of the tube, thereby makingfor ease and naturalness in handling, which is not the case it thematerial were to be discharged out of the end or the nozzle.

From the foregoing, it will be noted that I have provided a verydesirable opening and closing means for material tubes.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of myimproved outlet control means for collapsible material holding tubeswithout departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention; andit is my intention to cover by my claim any modified forms of structureor use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included withinits scope.

I claim:

In a device of the class described, a material holding tube of thecollapsible type, a discharge nozzle on said tube having a longitudinalslot opening with spaced apart edges, and a closure member threaded onsaid nozzle having two similarly shaped longitudinal slot openings eachcapable of selectively registering with said slot opening in saidnozzle; one of said slot openings in said closure member having anopening area substantially less than that of the other slot opening.

JOY D. DUNNING.

